Government defends Egypt evacuation plan

Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd has defended the federal government's level of assistance to Australians stranded in Egypt, saying their safety is a top priority.

Mr Rudd says the volume of calls to the Australian embassy's switchboard in Cairo has caused the system to crash as additional consular staff have been sent to strife-torn Egypt to offer assistance to Australians caught up in the unrest, the ABC reports.

"The operational challenge the embassy has had on the ground is that Egyptian authorities at various times have cancelled or shut down the mobile telephone system, they've shut down the internet, and therefore landlines into the embassy have been difficult to access. That's just the reality on the ground," Rudd said.

A specially-chartered Qantas 747 will be sent to Cairo tomorrow to evacuate Australians caught, with more flights planned if required.

About 240 people have registered to leave for either Frankfurt or London on Wednesday's flight.

"Currently we have 240 folk who have registered for the flight," Mr Rudd told ABC Radio today.

"The Australian government stands ready to continue assistance as is necessary, but we want to see how this first flight goes in terms of capacity et cetera."

Mr Rudd says anyone seeking information about tomorrow's flight should call the consular centre in Canberra rather than the embassy in Cairo.

"What I'd say to anyone in Egypt who is an Australian citizen seeking to access information about how to deal with exit arrangements, the safest option for them is to contact the DFAT emergency consular centre in Australia," he said.

DFAT says 1100 people have registered with the Australian embassy in Cairo, but it is unsure if they all want to be evacuated from Egypt.

Australians in Egypt can contact the Australian Embassy in Cairo on 2022 5750 444 or DFAT on +61 2 6261 3305.